Fuller Theological Seminary Receives $1.8 Million Grant for Global Research on Spiritual Maturity

Fuller Theological Seminary has been awarded a significant research grant of $1,813,487 from the Templeton Religion Trust to support a five-year project titled “Forming Religious Education and Leadership towards a Global, Ecumenical, Culturally Decentered Vision of Spiritual Maturity and Flourishing.” The project aims to address key questions about the nature of spiritual maturity and its development across different cultural contexts, with the goal of enhancing the global church’s capacity to foster deeper spiritual and community life.

David Emmanuel Goatley, President of Fuller Theological Seminary, said, “This grant enables a crucial exploration into the diversity of spiritual maturity across global Christian contexts. It’s a pioneering step towards understanding and fostering spiritual growth that resonates within varied cultural landscapes.” The project aligns with Fuller’s longstanding commitment to integrating rigorous academic research with deep spiritual insights.

The research will involve key partnerships with major theological and ecclesiastical institutions worldwide, including the World Council of Churches, The Center for World Catholicism and Intercultural Theology (DePaul University), the All Africa Council of Churches, the Asia Theological Association, and many others. David C. Wang, the project’s principal investigator, expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “We are deeply grateful for this partnership with Templeton Religion Trust, which will allow us to expand our research onto a global scale.”

Wang added, “Our current understanding of Christian maturity does not largely reflect the contexts, perspectives, and realities of where Christianity is growing and flourishing the most globally. This project will aim to help change that.” The research grant is a significant milestone for Fuller Theological Seminary, one of the largest multidenominational seminaries in the world with a global enrollment of more than 3,000 students.